The goal of the project is to engineer the surface of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) with a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) which terminates in a specific peptide or protein to which cells can directly attach and/or respond. The project will involve the development of necessary chemical reactions to modify the surface of the PDMS, with surface characterization after each step in the synthesis of the engineered surface. Once the desired surface has been developed, cultured cells will be grown on it and their attachment/response monitored. The effects of peptide/protein density on cell response will be examined as well.